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Woman whose career has spanned quark physics and advancement of women’s education in the Middle East

Apr 02, 2012 |

ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. — Dr. Patricia Burlaud, who has devoted more than 30 years to the advancement of women’s education and leadership in West Africa, the Middle East and the U.S., will be the guest speaker at a Thursday, April 12, program at St. Bonaventure University.

Burlaud, dean of Global Academic Programs at New York Institute of Technology (NYIT), will present the program “Lady Quark: π AND Love,” at 4:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the William F. Walsh Science Center. The program is free and open to the public. Her visit is sponsored by the university’s Women’s Studies program, which is also hosting Burlaud as the speaker of the annual Mary Devereux Luncheon on campus.

Burlaud assists the provost at NYIT in overseeing the operations of the institution’s five global campuses — in Amman, Bahrain, Abu Dhabi, Nanjing and Vancouver — with 120 faculty and more than 5,000 students around the world.

Prior to joining NYIT, Burlaud served as the associate dean for general education at Zayed University, a women’s governmental institution in the United Arab Emirates whose mission is to develop a strong leadership education for nationals.

Burlaud founded and chaired the Academic Affairs Standing Committee, which obtained the initial institutional accreditation of Zayed University with Middle States, the first such accreditation in the Middle East.

After obtaining her Ph.D. in high energy physics at Pierre & Marie Curie University, France, in 1979, Burlaud contributed to numerous scientific collaborations. As a specialist of quark physics, she worked with CERN (European Center for Nuclear Research) teams based in Geneva, in experiments led by two experts who won Nobel Prizes for the discovery of new fundamental particles.

Burlaud is affiliated with the American Council on Education’s Office of Women in Higher Education and is the New York state coordinator for the organization.

About the University: Inspired for more than 150 years by the Catholic Franciscan values of individual dignity, community inclusiveness, and service, St. Bonaventure University cultivates graduates who are confident and creative communicators, collaborative leaders and team members, and innovative problem solvers who are respectful of themselves, others, and the diverse world around them.